Turnaround Time

Andrew Carnegie and Thomas Edison. These two giants of human history had one thing in common: their lives changed just before they reached 30. Carnegie left a job at a railroad company he’d worked at for 12 years to focus on the steel industry at the age of 30, while Edison established his laboratory at Menlo Park at the age of 29 and invented the carbon telephone, gramophone, and incandescent light. What would have happened if Carnegie and Edison had missed this period? Perhaps the “wealthiest man in the world” and “king of inventors” would never have been known.

There’s a secret to destiny within these stories, and that is the “Saturn Return”. The Saturn Return refers to the cycle of 29.45 years in which Saturn revolves as well as approximately that same length of time after a person’s birth; that is, age 28-30. Saturn has traditionally been called the “stern teacher”, and accordingly, this period influenced by Saturn is the time when a person awakens from their dreams to become aware of reality and must take responsibility for their actions. If a person can successfully overcome the challenges given during this period, they are reborn with their independent destiny and can seize their chance of a lifetime.

You can think of the Saturn Return as the Buddhist concept of “cuizhou tongshi” (啐啄同時), which means the simultaneous pecking of a chick inside its egg and its mother outside the egg, i.e. the meeting of internal and external energy to create new life. During the Saturn Return, a person’s desire to break out of their shell meets the universe’s energy trying to break into the shell. When the shell breaks and the true world is revealed at this time, we can make the greatest use of our fortune to change our lives.

Now, what must we do to accept the gift destiny offers us at this time? If your Saturn Return has already passed, try to remember what happened to you at that time. The lessons of your first Saturn Return will remain in effect until your second Saturn Return at age 58-60.

First, reflect on your life to discover your psychological and behavioral patterns. You need to know yourself to become the true master of your destiny. “What incidents affected me the most? Where, when, why, and how did they happen? Who was involved in them?” Ask yourself these questions and organize the events in your life based on the six Ws. Next, consider how you responded emotionally and handled these events. By discovering the patterns unique to you, you can avoid responding in the same way when similar events occur in the future.

Second, don’t reject trials you face during this time; it’s better to endure them. Saturn, true to its moniker of “stern teacher”, motivates people with a whip rather than a carrot. Many people have trouble at work or family problems or become ill during their Saturn Return. But all these sufferings are part of breaking through the egg. Make opportunities out of trials and you will witness surprising miracles.

Finally, accept your own internal changes and vision and incorporate them into your actions. People awaken to reality and match their dreams and expectations to it during this period. The dreams of a chick trapped in a tiny egg cannot match those of a chick free of its egg and exposed to the outside world. People who made history also adapted their behavior in this way. The composer Brahms was born in Hamburg, but moved to Vienna at age 29 and lived the rest of his life there. Gautama Buddha surrendered his status as a prince to become a monk at age 29.

In other words, the period around age 30 is the moment of truth in which a person encounters their destiny. Your life’s direction can change precipitously depending on what choices you make at this crucial period. Stop wandering endlessly. It’s time to break out of your shell.

Suh Yoon’s Quotes:

“During the Saturn Return, a person’s desire to break out of their shell meets the universe’s energy trying to break into the shell. When the shell breaks and the true world is revealed at this time, we can make the greatest use of our fortune to change our lives.”

“Reflect on your life to discover your psychological and behavioral patterns. You need to know yourself to become the true master of your destiny.”

“Accept your own internal changes and vision and incorporate them into your actions. The dreams of a chick trapped in a tiny egg cannot match those of a chick free of its egg and exposed to the outside world.”

“The period around age 30 is the moment of truth in which a person encounters their destiny. Your life’s direction can change precipitously depending on what choices you make at this crucial period. Stop wandering endlessly. It’s time to break out of your shell.”